


This Town

by Nodusormu



Category: Carry On Series - Rainbow Rowell
Genre: Alternate Universe - Small Town USA, M/M, Slow Burn, the slowest of burns
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-15
Updated: 2019-05-30
Packaged: 2020-03-05 18:08:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,585
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18833956
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nodusormu/pseuds/Nodusormu
Summary: Simon Snow has been placed with Ebb in the small town Watford, Missouri.Set in the USA around the late 90's.Simon has a bit of a southern drawl.





	1. First Day Jitters

**Author's Note:**

> I'm winging it with this one, folks! No beta, sorry if I goof up the first person from time to time.
> 
> Chp. 1 First Day Jitters: Nervous Simon, friendly Penny and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles rule!

**SIMON**

I'm so nervous right now. I feel like running away.

But I won’t. Not yet at least. 

I promised myself I would try. Especially after Ebb took me shopping last week for all brand new clothes that fit properly and then she let me pick out my own backpack and lunch box. (Both are Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, by the way. Donatello is the best.) She’s been so nice and patient with me, it makes me feel kind of guilty that I still think about running away when I get anxious. I’ve never been placed in care or in a home with someone as nice as Ebb. I’m scared of ruining it if I mess up.

But it’s so hard to not think about running now that I’m sitting in the principal's office with Ebb. They’re talking about me but their voices are far off and don’t come into focus until I hear my name with a question mark after it.

“Huh?” I look up from the desk in front of me and see the principal is gone and Ebb is smiling down at me.

“We’re going to go meet Mrs. Dawson, your new teacher. She's in room 41. Are you ready?”

I nod my head even though my chest feels like it might explode.

A woman from the front desk comes to collect us and starts heading out of the office while we trail behind her. The moment she starts talking, I zone out with my hands clutching my backpack straps but follow along.

A class room door with a sign that says 41 on it comes into focus and everyone’s stopped walking so I stop, too.

"Would you like me to go in with you, Simon?" Ebb's patient voice draws my eyes from the classroom door to her face that's come level with mine. Her hair is short and straw colored and likes to fall over her left eye in a little wave. She smiles at me, and it’s so warm and crinkles into the corners of her eyes and pushes away some of my worries. She offers me a hand.

I take it with both of mine and squeeze nervously. "What if no one likes me?"

Her thumb runs little circles into the backs of my hands. "They are going to love you, Simon. I just know they will."

I swallow and look down at our hands.One of hers is almost twice the size of my own. "But what if they _don't_ like me?"

"Simon,” she sighs softly, and not in a way that makes me feel stupid. “What if they _do_ like you?" 

I close my eyes. That's a fair question. 

I feel less like running suddenly. Ebb really makes me feel like I don’t have to run.

"Okay," I say after a deep breath. “I can go in. On my own.”

"I know you can do it, too, Simon." Ebb stands and runs a hand over my curly hair. (I can’t help but lean into it.) "I'll be out front in the truck waiting for you right after school, okay? I want to hear all about your first day on the way home."

_Home_ , a little voice inside me says excitedly. 

That's still new. It still makes me smile stupidly. I have a home and my own room and Ebb has so many goats. I really love the goats. (Their ears are so soft.)

I let her hand go and hold onto my backpack straps again and nod with determination.

With another soft touch to my hair, Ebb smiles and I start to walk past her to catch up with the office lady. I try my hardest not to look back to her when the classroom door opens and I'm guided inside.

The first thing I see are a dozen eyes turn to me, all of which were previously reading the open books in front of them. Although there is one girl still reading out loud. She's the only person not looking at me and she doesn't until the woman at the front if the class asks her to pause.

The teacher, Mrs. Dawson, is perched on a stool at the front of the class room with a copy of the same book everyone has in her hand. She dog ears the page and looks down at me with a bright smile that actually pulls into her eyes. Her hair is peppered and she’s dressed all in black. 

The receptionist walks me to the front of the class. "I have a new student for you, Mrs. Dawson. He'll be joining your class as of today."

I can't help the heat or color that comes to my face and ears when standing in front of all the other kids. I fix my gaze on a poster across the classroom just beyond the desks of other kids.

"Wonderful!" She sighs wistfully and pulls herself up right to stand, setting the book on her stool. "We're so glad to have you in the class. Aren't we, kids?" The second half is directed at the other students who all nod and answer with a resounding 'yes!'.

I can feel everyone staring at me. My stomach won't stop doing cartwheels.

"Why don't you introduce yourself to the class?" Mrs. Dawson offers, taking some papers from the receptionist who then makes her way out of the classroom.

"Uh," I begin in a whisper before I find my voice properly. "My name is Simon Snow and I moved here over the summer." I run an anxious hand through my hair but catch myself and drop both hands to my side before continuing. "I didn't start at the beginnin’ of the year cause I had to get some shots an’ stuff but now I'm here.. nice to meet you."

I still haven't looked at anyone, I can't bring myself to do it. I'm so nervous I might be sick if they all don't stop looking at me.

"Well it's a pleasure to meet you, Simon." Mrs. Dawson smiles as the class echoes her words. "We just started Little House on the Prairie today, why don't you sit with Penelope while she finishes reading the chapter?"

Now I have to look at the other kids. I see the girl who had been reading raise her hand. I immediately move between the desks, passing a boy with long black hair who stares up at me and waves before I pass him to take the empty seat next to Penelope. After I take off my bag and slip it under the desk she smiles and moves her open book between us so I can see the page as well. The moment she starts reading I can feel the eyes falling away from me and focusing back on the book. 

Eventually Mrs. Dawson popcorns the next few pages to someone else and then popcorns it again. I don’t get picked and say a quiet thank you to no one in particular when lunch comes around.

“I’m Penelope Bunce,” says the girl I’ve been sitting next to as I take out the lunch box in my backpack before lining up with the class. She holds out a hand and fixes me with her gaze. Her glasses are bright purple and have little crystals along the sides. “But you can call me Penny, all my friends do.”

I swallow and clutch my metal lunch box to my chest with one hand as the other takes her hand to shake. “Uh, it’s nice to meet you, Penny. I’m Simon Snow. You can call me Simon.” 

That sounded stupid. Heck.

“Would you like to sit with me during lunch?” Penny asks with her own lunch box in hand. Our class shuffles out of our room and falls in place along with the other fourth grade classes the are heading down the hall towards the cafeteria I saw earlier during a small school tour.

“Sure, if that’s okay.” A small smile comes to me when she nods.

After school I tell Ebb all about Penny and her glasses and how she let me have one of her gel pens. (It’s a blue one that’s tucked into a special pocket in my binder. _”Like your eyes, Simon.”_ she said and it was so nice.) I tell her about Mrs. Dawson and how we’re reading Little House on the Prairie and that tomorrow we’ll get to go to art class after lunch. I tell her about recess where Penny and I played tetherball and she taught me how to swing the jump ropes for double dutch.

Ebb takes me to McDonald’s for dinner as a celebration for my first day. She smiles so much, and I smile so much that I feel like my face might get stuck that way.

And honestly, I wouldn’t mind that.


	2. Winter Festival pt. 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Winter Festival Part One: Introducing Baz! Prizes! Karaoke??!?

****

**Winter Festival Part One**

Adjusting to life in Watford has been surprisingly easy. I think that mostly has to do with Ebb being patient and really, really nice to me. She gives me freedom, like I can use the phone and watch television, but also I have a schedule to keep, with homework right after school and chores on the weekends. I haven’t thought about running away in weeks.

But also it’s ‘cause of Penny. We sit together in class and at lunch and do all partnered projects together. Plus she’s come over for dinner every other Friday since I started school. Ebb’s been very supportive of it all, which is weird, ‘cause my last caregiver hated driving me places and never let me have anyone over, ever. (I felt caged. That might have been why I ran away and refused to sit still then.)

But I’m still here in Watford, and it’s already winter break. 

Penny’s leaning on me for warmth while we stand over by the short wall near the flagpole, away from the growing crowd of students and parents. There’s a mess of cars in the parking lot and all down the side road that leads to the fields. Tonight’s the winter festival, and it’s pretty much started since the sun’s just about gone.

From where we’re standing, you can see the ferris wheel and teacup spinners on the football field along with the trail of tents and booths. I can smell food, and my stomach growls on reflex.

Penny adjusts her scarf so it covers her nose. It immediately causes her glasses to start fogging. “I hope it doesn’t snow tonight, because if it does I am going to _die_.”

“It’s not going to snow.” I snort out a laugh and bump her shoulder with mine. “Plus, if it does there’s plenty of cover for us.” I point at all the tents and booths lining the playground.

I can see other vendors and several food trucks littering the four side-by-side basketball courts on the playground. Ebb is over somewhere on the baseball field with a pen set up for the goat petting zoo she runs every year. I tried to volunteer to help her, but Ebb had none of that.

_“Here’s some money for food and any knick knacks you want.” Ebb said this morning before dropping me off. “And if you run outta money, just come find me, okay?”_

She gave me twenty dollars. I’ve never been given that much money before. It’s in my coat pocket, and I’m itching to use it on food.

“Let’s go get somethin’ to warm your hands, yeah?” I start walking backwards and nod my head at Penny to follow, and she does.

I buy us hot chocolate and a bag of fresh popcorn to share. There’s Christmas lights hanging between tents, and all the floodlights kick on before we can find a piece of grass to sit on and people-watch for a bit. 

It’s actually really pretty right now. The last shred of sunlight vanished a while ago, and with all the lights and people walking around, it looks picturesque. Definitely not something I thought I’d get to see outside a movie or ever be a part of. 

“We should try some of the games,” Penny says over her nearly empty styrofoam cup. “Win me something, Simon.”

I roll my eyes. “Just ‘cause I won that dart game from Santa-Cali-Gon doesn’t mean I can do it again, Pen.”

Ebb had driven us into town for that weekend, so it was special and I tried my hardest and actually won. I think Penny still has the plushie I got from it.

“Yes, you can,” she states oh so simply. I just roll my eyes again and shovel the last of the popcorn in my mouth.

“How about you buy me somethin’ to eat, and I’ll give it a try?”

I still have most of my money, and I know she gets an allowance. So we climb off the grass and toss our trash into a bin. Penny buys me two hot dogs plus a drink. We wander around while I chow down, and I tell her to pick a game that has a prize she wants me to try for. (I have to emphasize _try_ because Santa-Cali-Gon might have been a fluke. Never really did carnival games before then.)

She leads me around this time, hand reached back and clutching at my jacket sleeve. We weave in and out of the crowd, walking past a game with balls and hoops, another with ping pong balls and fish bowls and a couple of basketball looking ones.

“This one,” Penny says, stopping so abruptly that I almost knock into her. 

The person behind us knocks into me, though, and I end up bumping her anyway.

“Sorry,” I mumble, glancing around at the teenagers who just keep on walking instead of apologizing to us. “Which one now?”

“This one,” she repeats and tugs my sleeve toward the booth in front of us.

It’s more balloon darts with a wide range of prizes. I swallow hard. Hope she doesn’t want the giant teddy bear hanging from the rafters of the stall.

Then she points to a blue clown fish that isn’t too big. Oh, well.. that one doesn’t seem too hard.

The man behind the counter tells me it’s three darts for five dollars and that the medium prizes need six balloons popped.

I pull out the last twelve dollars I have and Penny gives me the extra three I need, and take my nine darts from him. At least I’ll have three extra shots. Penny steps aside to watch while I try not to make an idiot of myself. I hold a dart just at my shoulder height. I ghost it forward and back before tossing it and popping a green balloon.

I smile and shove down my anxiety and try not think too hard about it. It definitely takes me all nine darts, but with the six needed, I point for the blue clown fish.

“I told you you could do it,” Penny all but beams at me when I hand her the stuffed toy. She hugs it and then hugs me, and I can feel my face color. “Thanks, Simon.”

I’m still not used to all this physical contact. Ebb hugs me every night, but that’s different. When Penny hugs me, my face warms up and I feel silly.

“You’re welcome, Pen.” I stand there a bit awkwardly before pulling away. “Let’s go find somethin’ else to do.”

She grabs my coat sleeve and cuts us through the crowds and families. Somehow we end up at a ticket booth where she buys us enough for a few rides later on. I tell her we could go see Ebb and she’d give me money to buy us tickets, but she shushes me and drags me along some more.

“Let’s go do this,” she calls, pulling me faster towards an open area where the school lunch chairs are lined up into rows on a flat space of pavement.

There’s a couple groups of teenagers and some couples seated, and a line is formed off to the left of a television on a rolling stand like we use in class sometimes. The screen is on and it’s flashing song lyrics on a blue background, and someone up front has the mic and sings along.

“N-No!” I hiss. I can feel my ears turn red and I grab Penny’s sleeve. “I don’t want to do karaoke, Pen. Please?”

“You don’t have to, Si. You can sit and watch me do it.”

I’m being dragged against my will to the front, though. I follow reluctantly to where a couple song books sit on a table with slips of paper and pens to write the song and track number down. I just stand there and avoid looking at the table, but then I catch a couple people from the audience looking over at me, so I turn my back to them. My face must be beet red by now.

“Nice fish, Bunce,” comes a voice somewhere over my shoulder.

Both Penny and I turn around and find another one of our classmates looking over our shoulders. Baz, I think his name is.

“Thanks, Baz.” She smiles and hugs the toy to her chest. “Simon won it for me.”

Baz looks at me when she mentions my name. He’s taller than most of the class, so I have to look up at him. His hair is shoulder length and black, and he has bangs that tend to get in his eyes. He’s wearing a hoodie I recognize because Ebb owns one just like it. It has Nirvana written across the chest with a weird smiley face underneath it. I don’t think I’ve ever seen Baz smile, though. He always looks bored no matter what’s going on, even now.

“Cool,” he says. “Are you guys gonna do a song together?”

I shake my head no the same time Penny shakes her head yes.

He lifts both brows and they disappear under his bangs. “What’cha gonna do then?”

I shake my head again when Penny shrugs. “I don’t know, we’ll find something.” 

She turns back around and starts on the song book again. 

Baz moves to stand next to me and grabs another book for himself. He immediately starts flipping through the titles while I just stand between them, worried Penny will actually make me get in front of everyone and sing. I can’t sing, and I might bolt it if she tries.

“Got mine.” Baz says and grabs one of the paper slips on the table to fill out.

“Queen?” I ask, leaning over a bit to look at what he picked. “I like Queen.” I do. Ebb has their albums and plays them on the weekends sometimes.

“Queen’s cool,” Baz nods. “You two pick a song yet?”

“Video Killed the Radio Star, I think,” she finally says. “You know that one, don’t you, Simon?”

I do. But that just makes me blush again. “Yeah, but I don’t wanna sing. Not in front of people. ‘s different than bein’ in the truck.”

Baz hands his slip of paper to a woman behind the table, then shoves both hands into his hoodie pockets. I just shake my head and take a step back, but Penny has my sleeve and is handing the slip of paper to the same woman.

“You can just do the back up stuff, Si. I’ll sing the main parts.” She tugs me along to sit and wait our turn, Baz sits on my other side.

The three of us sit in silence as other students and parents go up and sing their chosen songs. There's love ballads and fun pop songs I've heard on the radio and oldies that a group of men loudly sing into the same microphone. It's fun to watch, and sometimes Penny sways, singing with them and smiling. I find myself doing the same. Baz on my other side doesn't join in, and he still doesn't smile. He just watches with both hands buried in his pockets, until his name is called to go up, that is.

To be honest, I don't know much about Baz. I know he's kind of Penny's friend. She said they'd been in the same class since first grade. I think I might have borrowed a pencil from him at some point, and maybe he was the one who waved to me on my first day. I don't remember.

But the moment Baz steps up in front of the karaoke machine, I want to know him. It's the way he's singing. Sure, strong, and crooning into the mic. Someone who's our age doesn't usually sing like that, do they? He sounds just like Freddie and it causes something in my stomach to tighten, and I catch myself grinning.

_He's so cool._

Penny and I are swaying along with _Somebody To Love_ while Baz bounces a leg to the beat, his whole body getting into it. Half the crowd is singing along with him by the start of the second verse, a group of older girls are clapping, and there's a loud cat call from somewhere behind Penny and me.

He looks over at us, not even reading the screen because he has the lyrics clearly memorized. 

But then I realize he's not looking at Penny. 

He's looking right at me, and then he smiles. At me.

My stomach does a flip, and I'm grinning right back at him while still singing with the crowd and with him.


End file.
